Danny Roberts ready to make run at UFC starting at Cage Warriors 64

Roberts, a British welterweight from Liverpool, has a nice resume – 9-1 with four knockouts and four submissions. But he’s not ready to jump the gun just yet.

He believes if he just keeps doing what he’s doing, one day he’ll get the call from the UFC. And then he’ll truly be ready.

“I feel like I’m close, but at the same time, I’ve still got a lot to learn,” Roberts told MMAjunkie. “I think a few more fights would do me well.”

That starts on Saturday when “Hot Chocolate” Roberts (9-1) meets Juan Manuel Suarez (13-5) at Cage Warriors 64, which takes place at The Forum in London. The main card, including Roberts-Suarez, streams live on MMAjunkie following prelims on Cage Warriors’ Facebook page.

Roberts has won three straight, all under the Cage Warriors banner, where he’s 4-0 overall. Suarez, from Spain, will be making his Cage Warriors debut. But after a 12-0 start to his career, he has dropped five of his past six fights.

Still, Roberts believes he and Suarez are similar. The Spaniard has nine of his 13 wins by stoppage with five submissions and four knockouts.

“I’ve had a look at Manuel Suarez, and I think he’s a very accomplished fighter,” Roberts said. “He’s very similar to me. Stylistically, he’s got a lot of strengths – I can’t really see that many weaknesses. Because I come from a boxing background, I’ve kind of been determined to learn all the different aspects of the game. When it comes to the way me and Suarez are going to match up, I think I’ve got the physical strength and I can’t see it going the distance.”

So Roberts will be gunning for another finish, which would keep eyeballs on him and likely put another top-notch opponent in front of him next – the kind that a win over could get the attention of the biggest organization around.

“I want to prove myself against some tough opponents,” Roberts said. “The UFC has got the best in the world, and I want to be a part of that and stay a part of that. I don’t want to get one fight, get a t-shirt and be off. I’d like to be able to get in the UFC, make a statement and stay there – be someone that people like.”

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